Xinhua,  Sun Jan  8 09:56:39 EST 2006

    COLOMBO, Jan. 8 (Xinhuanet) -- Sri Lanka's Tamil minority legislators have pointed out to President Mahinda Rajapakse that early resumption of talks was needed to diffuse the current volatile security situation in the country.
<p>
    Rajavayothi Sampanthan, the leader of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentary group said Sunday that a TNA delegation had met Rajapakse on Saturday in view of the violence that has endangered the ongoing Norwegian backed truce.
<p>
    "We told the president that talks (between the government and the Tamil rebels) must be held early to stabilize the security situation," Sampanthan told reporters.
<p>
    Sampanthan added that the TNA had apprised the president on security vulnerability faced by the Tamils throughout the island.
<p>
    He said the issue of "arbitrary arrests" of Tamils in Colombo and elsewhere were brought to the attention of the president.
<p>
    Sampanthan said that last Monday's killing of five Tamil students at the eastern port town of Trincomalee allegedly by the security forces was brought to Rajapakse's attention who promised that remedial action would be taken to prevent a recurrence.
<p>
    The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) have stepped up their attacks against the government troops since early December.
<p>
    Some 40 soldiers were killed in claymore mine explosions in addition to the Tiger attack to destroy a Sri Lankan Navy fast attack craft in the early hours of Saturday, killing at least 13 sailors.
<p>
    Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) which has been monitoring the country's peace process warned that the resumption of war was not far away unless the killings came to an end.
<p>
    Sampanthan said that the TNA delegation urged the president to revive the stalled peace negotiations so that normalcy could be restored.
Full Story


_________________
- The Academic

it is a good sign that TNA is in the process of initializing a peace move amid growing tension. but in SL govt side they dont have strong base for the peace discussion,they r one oneside humliating the norway but other side inviting them for facilitator role.mr cant progess in peace bid by satisfying ltte &jvp/jhu at the same time. uncommited peace move can put SL in further jeopardy as there cant b any good assurance from both sides to stop covert violance. we had this kind of unproductive peace degress during last 2 yrs. so we dont have good foundation for a meaniningful peace.as mr cant give credible assurance for the peace move due to the pressure frm jvp/jhu as it could dilute their vote base SL may have to face another stale peroid till another big explosion comes in the face of comming election in provincial councils.

Dear Rawana,
JVP/JHU are blind with their ideology. What should they propose is not to throw way Norway but to closely examine Norway and not allowing them to fund LTTE . LTTE will never agrees to accept another mediator for the peace process, because they know again world sympathy is toward them. Specially TN general opinion has been changing and now it is again turning back to LTTE in good way. This is due to LTTE propaganda and lazy act of Sri Lankan diplomatist.

rawana wrote:

it is a good sign that TNA is in the process of initializing a peace move amid growing tension. but in SL govt side they dont have strong base for the peace discussion,they r one oneside humliating the norway but other side inviting them for facilitator role.mr cant progess in peace bid by satisfying ltte &jvp/jhu at the same time. uncommited peace move can put SL in further jeopardy as there cant b any good assurance from both sides to stop covert violance. we had this kind of unproductive peace degress during last 2 yrs. so we dont have good foundation for a meaniningful peace.as mr cant give credible assurance for the peace move due to the pressure frm jvp/jhu as it could dilute their vote base SL may have to face another stale peroid till another big explosion comes in the face of comming election in provincial councils.

Wee said rawana! This is the cause for prolonging ethnic issue. My solution for our problem is following. The GOSL should form a national Government with UNP to just balance the JVP/JHU of extremism and put forward a viable solution to Tamil issue. Then ask international community to back their effort to solve this problem. In a situation Tamils generally accept the proposals but not LTTE we have a golden opputurnity to eliminate the LTTE. then there is no problem to get all the support from international community!! Why our learders takes so long time to understand this very simple formula is very strange and stupid.

dear amaka
wimal weerwansa s kiri gon theory is not in paralel wt what is happenning in the reality. in my i give my 100% support & confidence to norway becas they want to solve this problem under united SL. mr is still saying he is not ready to blind & deaf man when ltte is engaged in violance. but 100 our soldirs r dead now. he hasnt done any thing but inviting the norway back. i am very sure mr will face more humiliation in persuit of norway peace treaty becas these guys r not capable in handling the peace.

dear surya
i agree wt u. we both have similar views even amaka also same

Why is JVP-JHU so against the discussions being held in Norway?

As I understand peace talks will be a process where two parties go through the proposals/agenda etc before the meeting, then discuss at the meeting and agree or atleast come closer to a agreement.

Even if one thinks that all these western countries are biased in favour of LTTE, does it mean that some Norwegians are going to enter the discussion venue by force, and force Mangala S (or whoever in SL deligation) to sign some documents in LTTE's favour?.

If the SL delegation is lead by some capable/qualified professionals and the proposals contain reasonable amount of power devolution - venue will have no role to play.

Problem is not the venue, that is why what JVP/JHU is wrong at that point. But the location will be a problem. If LTTE is given another chance to go back to Europe they take that to attract more European and that lead to collect more sympathetic funds for them. It is therefore advisable to oppose the locations as European country.
If LTTE intend to talk I don’t se any problem to have talk in Sri Lanka as all LTTE participant has to come to Katunayaka to leave the country.

lankaputhra wrote:
"Why is JVP-JHU so against the discussions being held in Norway?

As I understand peace talks will be a process where two parties go through the proposals/agenda etc before the meeting, then discuss at the meeting and agree or atleast come closer to a agreement.

Even if one thinks that all these western countries are biased in favour of LTTE, does it mean that some Norwegians are going to enter the discussion venue by force, and force Mangala S (or whoever in SL deligation) to sign some documents in LTTE's favour?.

If the SL delegation is lead by some capable/qualified professionals and the proposals contain reasonable amount of power devolution - venue will have no role to play".

Why cannot we put the same argument with the LTTE? One reason for not agreeing Norway as the venue may be that the Norway has lost its credibility as a neutral country towards the conflict.  Second may be that it will affect the restrictions imposed by EU on LTTE after the assasination of Kadir.  In the selction of the venue, GOSL seems to be more flexible than LTTE because it doen't indicate any sepcial country but any in Asia.  Why cannot LTTE trust on Malaysia, Singapoor etc which have considerable tamil populations.  It is not difficult to understand the moves of the LTTE, they need war at any cost if GOSL agree their choise for the venue, they will one more reason to escape peace talks - for example, they will ask GOSL to request EU, UK etc to remove all the restrictions imposed on them.  Based on the unfolding events, we cannot think that the only obstacles for the peace talks are JVP and JHU.  Remember the LTTE moved away from the talks during RW's time.


_________________
agro

Why is only Oslo under discussion for talks ? There are plenty of other venues in Europe. Why must it be Oslo or Tokyo ? Why not The Hague, Salzburg or Brussels ?

Snakebite wrote:

Why is only Oslo under discussion for talks ? There are plenty of other venues in Europe. Why must it be Oslo or Tokyo ? Why not The Hague, Salzburg or Brussels ?

anton balasingham, the creature married to australian .... , spend so much on wine, when they were in tokyo,people in jaffna and abroad are still paying the bill.  liberation of tamils isnt it?? but not in tokyo this time. get ready to pay the next bill where ever they spend it on wine and women.

Pathma Vigneshwaran wrote:

Snakebite wrote:

Why is only Oslo under discussion for talks ? There are plenty of other venues in Europe. Why must it be Oslo or Tokyo ? Why not The Hague, Salzburg or Brussels ?

anton balasingham, the creature married to australian .... , spend so much on wine, when they were in tokyo,people in jaffna and abroad are still paying the bill.  liberation of tamils isnt it?? but not in tokyo this time. get ready to pay the next bill where ever they spend it on wine and women.

Same with the Sri Lankan delegation. How many billions of rupees as a Sri Lankan we pay in the form of a tax. Where the money is going? In the name of war, all officers & policians are robbing the money. Either ADB or WORLDBANK recently released a statement in which it says only 18% to 20% of the international grants are reaching the targets. Rest is (80%) robbed by the officers & policians. Even though it is hard to believe this is the fact.

Not only in this incident even LTTE's financial arms which collects millions of $ from the migrant tamil is robbed in similar manner by the individuals.

THERE IS A CONSENSUS WHEN IT COMES TO ROBE FROM THE INNOCENT